So my Jarno lost his brother last week and I got 2 new boys in the hope of keeping him company.... They have all met briefly and it seems ok.

There is no aggression towards Jarno.... and Jarno tolerates the youngsters. The two boys fight between themselves in the introductions (no squeaking)

BUT the main thing I can see is they are so.... bouncy and fully of youthful energy and are all over Jarno (who is four times the size of them) I can see he doesnt like the amount of excitement and attention they give him.

Anyone have experience of this.... Will they calm down over time. Im thinking of a few minutes a day together until the novelty has worn off.. or will it?

Once the rats are together in the carrier they are not separated again unless there is extreme aggression - letting them meet briefly for a few minutes a day then separating isn't usually a good idea as the rats can get confused and frustrated at not being able to suss each other out properly. We have used the carrier method for all our introductions and with patience it really does work very well

The idea with the carrier method is to increase space gradually as although it sounds contradictory a small space where the rats have to touch is actually safer when you are first introducing. The rats have no choice but to get to know each other, and there is no room for the chasing and running up the bars which can end in frustration and aggressive fights.

It's impossible to tell really how long the intro will take; it varies from group to group and you really do have to be patient and not rush things. Having said that, kittens are not usually seen as a threat by older bucks so hopefully it should be straightforward.

We usually have the carrier in our bedroom the first night, but hovering around them is a fault I've had to train myself out of as they can pick up on stress Now I make sure I'm within earshot for the first day or two and only intervene if someone is screaming blue murder, and then play it by ear as things progress.

I would allow at least three days for the introduction - moving through the carrier and small cage stages.

If you are concerned about the youngsters, does that mean they are quite small? Buck kittens are best introduced once they are big enough to defend themselves if necessary, I would normally recommend 9-10 weeks, so you might want to wait until the end of next week anyway.

Both can fit inside a toilet roll tube (Not two rats at same time and except there butts )

Im told they are 8 weeks old and I have paper work detailing the parents... and there parents... and there parents... 3 generations.

They still have baby fur patches so could be possible they are a bit younger... but are wonderful boys. I can already see there personality coming through the nerves... they are going to be cheeky ones super smart too and amazingly friendly

I would wait another couple of weeks so they can grow a bit, they are too small for an intro yet. Are you feeding them daily fresh meals as well as their dry mix? They need lots of calories at this stage, this article should be helpful.

Yeah.. Ive just spent 2 hours moving them around... the boys are in the taller cage and Jarno is back in the original cage he was first in (not so tall but more floor space - he prefers it)Ill try again when they get older and hopefully less like to act like theyve just seen santa xD

The cages are side by side atm but he sits with his back to them xD

Oh I didnt know that but I tend to give my rats stuff anyway.... Ill cooked some eggs tomorrow =) Thank you =)

I wouldn't put their cages next to each other; it can just wind them up if they can see and smell and hear each other but not interact properly. If you're short on space, at least put a sheet of cardboard or some other solid barrier between the cages.

Once the babies are old/big enough for intros, put them and Jarno into the small cage and do not separate them unless blood is being drawn. All the behaviour you describe sounds normal to me, and not grounds for separation. Jarno clearly doesn't like being trapped in a small cage with two hyperactive babies – who would? – but the only way they're going to learn to live together is by getting to know each other, and the carrier method is really good at making that happen. Just leave them to it unless things are actually getting violent; I try not to hover or interact too much with them for the first few days just because the more time they spend being distracted by me, the less time they spend resolving their differences amongst themselves.

Good luck!

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I have the same situation at the moment, one old boy (Oskar, 2 years 3 months) and two excited youngsters (Alfredo & Zouma, about 6 months, don`t know their exact age as they are rescues). When they meet each other there is no aggression from both sides but especially Alfredo is so overexcited that he just walks all over Oskar, sniffs, grabs his face, even rolls him around (Oskar has weak hind legs) and just does not leave him alone. I know that Oskar is not enjoying this as he briefly niped at Alfredo yesterday, nothing bad, he was just annoyed.I will try the small cage/carrier method the next days and see how they get on. I hope it works.

Week before xmas Jarno's breathing was not good..... and he was lethargic. I took him to the vets where on the table he could moves his legs but it wasnt lifting and moving him. The vet said at his age (2 years) and with how poorly he was and unable otmove that PTS was best option.... so sadly my Jarno was PTS a week before xmas

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